What's The Worst That Could Happen
by the-voiceless
Summary: Butch Cavendish and Rebecca still loathe each other completely but what happens when Danny disappears, Latham intends to betray Butch, they're trapped in a mine, they find a treasure map that leads to gold? Join them on a classic wild adventure to the Grand Canyon in search for the 8th city of gold and on a romantic adventure soon to ignite between them as they grow closer together
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

She slapped him with an open palm, giving a damn good whiplash and an attitude fierce and dangerous. Butch slipped out his knife aiming right at her face with a snarling open lip cold blue eyes and a cold soul to match. But suddenly one of his goons appeared from out of nowhere and told him a ghost was gone shoot him dead, for revenge for his past sin. Pocketing his knife, he refused such a story!

"You're scared." She said.

In all of blazing hell, that got him mad.

Wild and stupid as any other girl, but she stood hopeful and confident thinking and praying for the return of her dead husband.

What a joke.

He looked at her.

"You should be."

His first thought was to kill her. Have one of his henchmen carry her out to the desert and shoot her in between those pretty blue eyes of her until her blood runs dry for the vultures to peck at. On the other hand—she would be a very fine trophy. Very fine indeed. More fine than anything. Licking his split lip with his tongue he couldn't think of any other better way than to punish her using her only weakness. Coming to her he grabbed her son by his arm and yanked them away from each other and sure enough she started yapping and yapping and yapping. His arms distanced them.

"Listen 'ere… " he came close to her face getting a good look at those eyes," You wanna live… yey? If you want to live, you better learn how to behave when around me and my crew. Yey?"

He pushed the silver blade of his hunting knife to Danny's little throat.

"N-N-No!" she pushed against him, shaking her head. "Please! Don't! That's my boy! It's my one and only boy!"

"You wanna live?" he pushed further.

"Please! Don't hurt him!" she cried, arms stretched out desperately reaching for her son.

"You wanna live?" his lips touched her ear, teasing her, enjoying her squirming reaction.

Her body shivered as the boy began to tremble and cry, his eyes becoming blurry with tears as the rim of his eyes turned red. Danny looked at his mama. There couldn't be any other way.

She whispered," Yes."

He blinked bringing his ear to her mouth. "What was that?"

"Yes! I said yes! Now give me back my boy!"

"Ya hear that boys!" he hollered. "She says she wants to live."

Yip! Yip! The boys shouted laughing like horses watching the poor woman blush and shed tears. Butch enjoyed her reaction, too. It was almost like a specialty he enjoyed. He enjoyed watching a fine example of the female species squirm in terror and humiliation and he loved nothing better than to worsen her experience.

Grabbing a fistful of her pretty brunette hair, he stretched her neck backwards and planted a sloppy lingering kiss on her rosy cheek. Rebecca shouted, squeezing her eyes shut, as she felt his hot lips move on her skin, disgusting and horrifying her. Suddenly he dropped her into the sand like a sack of dog shit. She shot him an angry look

"Get on!" he kicked the sand with his heel.

Rebecca clung to her son, feeling the hot sand flying into her hair from the heel of her captor. Butch grabbed his hat protecting his head from the scorching sun while his fingers intertwined with the soft and smooth fabric of her shawl bringing it to his nose and inhaling. His ' _forget-me-never'_ blue eyes looked at her face covered in a thin layer of dirt and exchanged his signature wolf smile before tying her beautiful shawl underneath his hot collar.

 **Later That Night** :

The coyotes were done howling their music to the moon but not the boys. The Cavendish Gang couldn't stop swinging their whiskey and bourbon drinks high and low with a solid promise of a raging hangover tomorrow morning.

Although two of their newest youngest members would not participate at all in their alcoholic revelry. Rebecca would not have it. She would not have any of it! She despised their gallivanting and whooping and hollering, not caring for social order or organization or any humanlike decency.

A plate appeared in front of her face.

"Eat."

Rebecca looked at this disgraceful meal.

Even coyotes wouldn't eat this filth!

Doing her best to keep her manners as a lady born in proper society, she politely pushed the plate away from her lap. Danny didn't speak a word; he loyally followed the decision of his mama's appetite. But her polite decision didn't go unnoticed by the leader of the criminal circle.

She could feel him stand over her, the way a schoolteacher would to a haughty student. The tip of his boot scooted the plate closer. The captive gave no response. Kneeling down Butch teased her with a spoonful of black beans, poking her bottom lip and playing 'airplane' in a mocking manner.

"Come on now, you gotta eat somethin'..."

"No thank you," she whispered. "Rather wait until tomorrow morning if you don't mind."

He nodded, "Tomorrow morning. There ain't gonna be much happenin' tomorrow mornin'. Matter o'fact there might be another chance to eat again for another couple o' days. Eat. Or do I have to pry open that pretty jaw of yers and force somethin' down?"

Her eyes darted back and forth, sorting out her decisions. Looking at her son Danny, she didn't have no choice than to hold back a bad attitude and choose Butch. For all the sake of holding onto some power and dignity she reached for the plate, gave a nod, no smile or eye contact, and gave Danny something to eat. The little tyke must've been starved.

"Thatta gurl… " Butch smiled, sitting next to her eating his a pile of days-old jerky. "It ain't your mama's cookin' boi, but sure as hell better than nothin'…"

Butch watched Danny eat his beans, the little rascal hungrier than a fox in a chicken's coop practically licked his plate clean. His mother in one hand had a different agenda. She done not touch her meal all night. Butch settled onto his horse blanket with his saddle as a comforting pillow and his hat tipped down on the bridge of his nose settling to go to sleep.

The darkness of the night cushioned everything while the gang slept, snoring and smacking their lips, tossing and turning. None of their noise helped Rebecca sleep at all, not even a wink. Too much raced and marched in her mind, bouldering small suspicions into grossing fears that were too much to handle. Danny slept like a young pup nestled against his mother's bosom so that gave her a little peace. If he was safe, healthy and living then there would be no problem. He was her world. Her little perfect piece of sanity.

Rebecca slipped into her apron pocket and pulled out a picture of her family. It was the last thing she could grab before those wicked men burned down her ranch. There she was placing a motherly hand on her son's shoulder, wearing the first dress her husband bought for her. Then her handsome little boy looking like an angel in his suit and hat and wearing his old church shoes.

Dan, as always, had been a handsome sort of man with his strong jaw line, tousled hair, and a strong fix in his eyes. Looking at his face she could almost imagine seeing his blue eyes despite the lack of color in the photo, nevertheless she shed tears of hope and sadness. A pain in her chest breathed as fiery and painfully as a horse in a drought, reeling her into a terrible long, long, long night.

It wasn't true.

It couldn't be true.

Her husband will come rescue her!

He has to.

And she'll wait forever if she has to.

 **The Next Day** :

"They can't know anything. Captain Fuller has his army ready for one last fight with the Commanches and I can't risk them getting hurt or have them getting in my way. I still need that silver to travel on the train, get my millions, and when all of this blows over then I'll send you the word to return Rebecca and Danny back to me."

"What of the Lone Ranger?" Butch Cavendish asked his brother.

His eldest brother grimaced at that name.

"For all we know he's found an abandoned ranch and presumes Rebecca and Danny to be dead. I want to keep it that way. Him and that crazy Indian won't know that when all of this is over, I'll disappear with them to San Francisco and never come back again. It'll be a clean get away. You just make sure to keep your trail cold and clean, give no one a reason to suspect that they're alive or they're being held captive. I'll have plenty of time to endorse my millions. Now that's the way to successful progress."

Butch approached, "And my cut? When do I get my cut?"

Latham Cole looked at his brother," When I get to San Francisco your share will still be waiting in Indian Territory back in the silver mines. Then we split two ways. My life will begin in the city and your life may begin wherever you wish it to be. Go back to the desert or go to the top of world for all I know, even start your own ranch if you like." Latham, swung, caught and clicked his pocket watch open.

Butch nodded.

"I'll take your word for it."

"It's almost time. My presence is needed." He footed his saddle and pulled himself up. "When I get back within a week's time I expect every little hair on her head to be intact. As the boy. One foot out of line—one foot—you get nothing. The deal will be off."

Butch grimaced at his older brother trotting down the sandy hill," Likewise preacher! You don't give me my silver, you don't take me to the noose… a bullet's gonna have a home in yer head. You lose the Railroad, the girl and boy, the silver, and yer life."

"Brother," Latham nodded his head.

Cavendish tipped his hat, "Brother."

The elder brother rode out into the scorching hot desert leaving Butch with a snarl, it was a great mistake for a man like him to gamble everything on his asshole brother but he had no one else. No one.

"Hmm…" Butch scratched the bottom of his chin, looking towards the sunset. "Not a hair… Whatever yer say hoss…"

Back with the posse, Danny was tossing pebbles against the pale white cliff side listening to the crackle of each ricochet bounce off. It was nothing spectacular to do, but boredom can torture the boy stupid. He threw another and another. Before throwing another pebble, he saw a shadow stretch tall and wide against the cliff and then he noticed Butch Cavendish return. The dangerous outlaw gave him a look most sinister, his split lip rising to reveal his silver tooth, a predator's deadly canine for hunting and eating. Danny dropped the pebble and scurried to his mama, nesting his face into her apron as the outlaw approached his saddle bag and pulling out his gun.

"What are you doing?"

Immediately, his mother's hand pressed firmly onto his head cuddling him closer to her. He couldn't see anything other than his mama's palm but he could hear Butch come to them. Danny could hear the jingle of his spurs with every footstep.

"Try something I'll kill him dead."

Danny moved his head and saw Butch holding a pair of cuffs, two pair of cuffs and Danny knew what that meant. His daddy had cuffs too and he used them to shackle outlaws, murderers, thieves and such. His mama protested but was no use. Before Danny could blink Butch shackled him too, squeezing the metal cuffs close together.

"You don't need to do this! You already have us at gunpoint and if we run you can shoot us anyway!" his mama said.

"Got no choice. Besides I like to have my hostages close."

"You can't—"

Butch raised his hand," Hush up!" he slapped her.

An audible slap!

"Hey" Danny yelled scooching closer to his mama.

Trying to protect her.

Rebecca held a hand to her cheek," You can shackle me but not the boy. Please! He aint' doin' no harm! By tomorrow his skin gonna turn black and green from wearing 'em too long!"

Butch looked at Danny and back at her, licking his lip.

"Please!?" she whispered, her hands clinging to Butch's jacket vest. "Please!?"

Danny saw the way Butch looked at his mama; it was the way that man named Latham looked at her when they would be buying pork and bread from the market. His blue eyes looking at her like she were an angel, enjoying her gaze. It was a look a man gives a woman when he 'bout to kiss her and the young boy didn't know much about the socializations between two adults, but it seemed like his mama liked it too. Her hands clutched tighter onto his vest. Danny watched the two look at eachother for a long time before Butch stood and saddled his horse before tying the chain to saddle knob. Rebecca and Danny were yanked up and hauled like two mules. Butch whistled and they were off.

The Cavendish Gang rode all day through thick and tall, in and out canyons and it weren't long before his mama began to beg Butch for a drink of water.

Butch ignored her.

For Rebecca this has been nothing but total hell. She begged him for some water. Nothing. She raised her voice. Nothing. She yelled at him. Begging for some water. Nothing. Picking up a good sized rock she chucked it at his head and soon regretted her action! The horse halted, Butch jumped down and slapped her across her cheek before shoving her down into the hot sand, calling her a goddamn rotten ugly whore and a no-good dirty tramp. All the men stopped and looked at the stir up. Butch enjoyed watching his plaything squirm beneath him. It made him smile. It pleased him. It satisfied him. He slapped her across the cheek one more time with a firm palm making her head whip to the side, her hair disheveled.

She suddenly felt him grab the back of her neck and force her to rise to her feet and she wanted nothing more than to die right there and then as she felt his hot lips kiss her cheek again.

"Don't worry. I forgive ya doll." He smiled

He grabbed her head and pulled her close, enjoying her smell, nuzzling his beak behind her ear and inhaling. Shivers ran up her spine.

"All yer had to do was ask if ya wanted my liquids…" he licked her cheek.

"Go to hell…" she hissed.

"Think I might." Butch shoved her to the dirt again, kicking sand in her face.

"Stop!"

Butch tossed back his head and laughed.

"Stop!"

He climbed onto his saddle. Rebecca cried as his horse dragged her across the hot sand before she finally found the strength to get back on her feet again. Her humiliation worsened when his gang hooted and hollered at her, mocking her to stay strong and get to her feet. Like a goddamn newborn baby deer. She hid her face from them. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm. The sun was hot and boiling them all to hell. Sand was everywhere, in her hair, in the corners of her eyes, on her lips and in her ears. Damn him. Damn that man to hell.

"Where are you taking us?"

He didn't answer.

"Where are you taking us!?"

Butch looked back at her. "Deeper into Indian territory until we reach the city. Somewhere no one can find any of you. Don't worry doll yer gonna love the ride. So take a good look while ya can. Kiss it all goodbye doll."

They were leaving.

Forever.

Their home.

Their ranch.

Their neighbors and everyone they knew. Even John! Her heart ached knowing that she was just a pawn in a deadly game fighting against him. This was all his fault! Butch Cavendish. She spat on the dirt he walked on. Everything he did and everything he was she hated with a passion! Looking at his face, she wished she had a shovel. Or a frying pan.

How dare he proclaim that Dan Reid was dead, her husband, her breathe and her life. This… lone ranger… must be Dan! It has to be! He was alive, breathing and coming to rescue her and their son.

But nevertheless, she and her boy had to escape these mongrels. Take their horse and ride away into the night. Run into a deep a canyon and never come out until they left. Find a stream or a river, head back and keep their tracks hidden in the muggy sand. Try and contact anyone else besides these hideous men and report them to any official authorities and have them hanged for their crimes!

Possibly even kill Butch Cavendish herself, kick his corpse, spit on his grave, and proclaim themselves free from their evil sinful clutches.

Whatever it took.

(A/N): I think this story will be completely different and I like different. So leave a comment and fav and follow. More will come soon)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Frank! Frank! Lookie 'ere! Didn't yer used to say yer liked the finer thangs?" Butch asked, looking at the blonde haired man wearing a woman's bonnet.

Frank looked at him," Ye."

"Why don't ya look over there…"

"Well I'll be damned! It's a coach wagon! One o' 'em fancy thangs too!" Frank and Jesus exclaimed, getting their guns.

"How's bout a pit stop before the Mines? Sure as heck know there somethin' worth keepin' that those folks are guardin'… " Butch swung back his whiskey, popped a breath of air and smashed the brown bottle against the rock.

Jesus, Frank, Berret and four other some men went gallivanting towards the coach when Rebecca turned to her son to keep quiet, cover his eyes, and shut his eyes like a good boy. The woman turned towards the leader telling him to stop with the useless carnage and let those poor folks go!

"Can't doll, the heart wants what the heart wants! Besides, you ain't lookin' to get in my way are you?"

"Please! You don't have to murder 'em!"

"What foolishness you talkin' bout? I'm doing all o' this for you, doll."

Rebecca gasped," Why!? Why!? I never asked for this."

Butch approached her," You wanted water didn't ya?"

"What?"

"Look there. Barrels with water. Water that could last for days and days, doll." Butch slipped out his gun, coming close to her, then pointed to the coach wagon.

He was close to kissing her again. He was so close.

"See how I treat you good?" his hand slipped behind her neck, pointing his gun. "I treat you so good. You want water. You gonna get your water."

Butch aimed his gun at an innocent man.

"Danny, stay with mama…" Rebecca whispered.

Danny did as his mama asked and shut his eyes and covered his ears. Gun shots popped. Someone screamed. Guns popped. Someone screamed. Rebecca held his head as the Cavendish Gang cut down those people like a great swoosh of a scythe and returned like jackals carrying their treasures and belongings. Scraps from a carcass. Didn't they know no shame? Frank returned carrying a frilly umbrella while he and the other boys tore open boxes, drank water cans, tore away into the clothes chest. Butch inspected the clothes chest himself. What good would it do? He had decent clothes for a murderous treacherous criminal such as himself, there would be no point to scavenging the dead. Rebecca was cut off from her own thoughts when Butch came to her with a brown coat that looked to be belonged to a decent townsman or trader. He nudged it to her.

She poked her nose to the sky turning her head, "No thank you."

"It doesn't come in pink."

She shot him a glare, "Taking from the dead, let alone murdering, isn't my initiation into this congress of louts."

Butch smiled, "Yer sure bout that doll? Soon it be nighttime and no soul wanna be caught with such delicate…" he eyed her up and down, slowly. "Delicate… delicate garments such as yers."

He nudged her.

"No, you can take your loot and leave us be. We'll do just fine by ourselves."

Butch packed the coat under his arm, "If ya say so, doll. But don't come cryin' to me when you and yer boy are shiverin' in the dead of night."

She shot him a glare, "The darkest night is always before the dawn, thank you very much."

"Well, I tell ya what… if ya beg, beg, beg good and sweet to me… then I might be charitable and let ya come under my blankets…"

"Go to hell…"

"Think I might…" he smiled, looking at her boy and giving them a canister of cold water.

The criminal outlaw joined the circle of looters to stake his claim on a few belongings. They laughed and laughed taking what they could. After Rebecca and Danny deemed it was safe, they gulped that water down faster than fish.

 **Later That Night** :

It wasn't such a bad night. Butch Cavendish lay on his back looking up into the sky with his head resting on his saddle listening to the little gasps coming from that woman and her boy, shivering trembling to the cold of the desert. Turning his head he saw Rebecca and Danny cuddle against eachother struggling to find something to comfort their bodies other than the poking sand rocks and the frigid temperature. Butch noticed Rebecca trying to comfort her boy. A stupid woman in a dress and a boy in church shoes would not be shown any hospitality in a place like this, no sir. Their pitiful cries for his better nature got the best of him. Don't say he didn't warn them.

"Plenty room here," he said, winking his eye.

She shot him a glare.

Shivering, she found a little strength, "Y-Y-You… can… g-go… to h-h-hell! Y-Y-You and your damned s-s-soul can go to hell… and… r-r-rot… th-th-there." She seethed.

"Mmmm, I always liked a good fight in 'em… Makes it a fun challenge I always say…" he laughed placing both his hands behind his head. "All ya got ta do is ask nicely…"

"I-I-I… hate… y-y-you…" she whispered.

"It's easy doll. Just beg me. Beg me real good and I might think it over."

"Y-Y-You… can… t-t-take… that… sm-sm-smug… smile… and –"

Danny began coughing violently, covering his mouth and wheezing for air—coughing and wheezing for air before shivering against his mama like a leaf. Rebecca's fears were coming to reality! Her poor boy shivered something fierce! His face looked pale and blue. His temperature on his forehead didn't feel so good.

"Da-Da-Danny?"

"Mama…"

Rebecca looked at her boy, Butch, then her boy.

"I-I… gotta… get ya… outta h-here…" she whispered, kissing her boy. Feeling his little body shiver and gasp. "I'm… s-so sorry. I'm… so sorry, baby. Pr-Pr-Pray… to all the… heavens… a big w-w-wind… w-w-would sweep you… up and carry… you home!"

The poor woman wept before finally standing up and taking her boy. Butch put a hand on his firearm as they approached him, smiling his signature toothy smile as the woman shed a tear, gulped and asked if he would be so kind enough to share a little charity. Mockingly, he stretched, tilted his head, scratched his forehead, blinked twice, shifted his position, and clicked his tongue. Taking his damn sweet time.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Please…"

He laughed, "I knew you come crawling to me one day, doll. Only a matta' time before I get what I want." Butch scooted opening his blanket wing to them.

Rebecca didn't say a word and neither did Danny but both visibly appreciated the sudden comfort and luxury of warmth. Rebecca knew Danny would be ok until morning. Her son's health was more important than her own and she hoped she would succeed in being a good mother until both of them were safe away from this snake. If that hadn't bothered her enough she could feel Butch's hand slither across her waist and settle his fingers at the buttons of her dress, fiddling and meddling. Her hand protested against his but that only fueled his sexual mischief!

"Keep your filthy meat hooks to yourself!" she elbowed him in the gut.

Cavendish left the hem of her dress and grabbed her mid-thigh and palmed her there, earning a grunt of pain and defiance. She elbowed him harder. The snake licked his lips before taking his other hand and massaging the back of her neck. With a hand on her neck and on her thigh, she was at the mercy of him, feeling his strength and large hand touch her. Danny wasn't disturbed. In fact he was completely oblivious! The poor boy was too exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Rebecca turned her body and struggled against him.

"Don't tell me to stop…" he whispered.

"D-Don't go no further!" she slapped him.

"Hey!" he growled, bringing her face close. "I can shoot him dead and make you watch if I like. I can even let ya chose which body part want you wanna keep when I'mma done through with him, how does that sound!?"

He's a monster. A goddamn monster. Rebecca lay on her back as he continued to touch her around the hem of her dress and he seemed to favor her legs the most. Closing her eyes, she could feel every little thing that he did to her, even when he gently teased the entrance to her secret and forbidden oasis in between her legs with one finger. Just one finger and he made her writhe almost to the point where she wanted to wrap her legs around him and let him have his way with her. She was so close to finally enjoy the wonderful touch of a man after being alone for so many months and evoke her own rough and sexual aggression on him in return. Instead, she quickly changed her appetite to sexual pleasure to depression and disgust, knowing that Butch was having fun.

"That's enough foreplay for one evening. Mmmm, did it feel good?" he whispered, he kissed her neck, enjoying the heated pump of blood rushing through her veins against his lips. "Mmmm, next time I'll have these off. Promise you that, doll…"

"You're going to die."

Butch stopped his foreplay.

"Come again?" he looked at her.

"You're going to die. The whole lotta ya are gonna suffer the wrath of my husband when he comes."

He smiled.

"You see me trembling in my boots? Heh, ain't that cute. Widow woman believes in ghost husband."

Her blue eyes were soft no more. It held revenge and confidence.

"He's not a ghost. Just wait and you'll see Butch Cavendish, you're gonna pay for your sins and crime. You'll be stopped. When he comes back, he's gonna love me more than ever. Then when you go up those steps to be hanged once and for all, no one is gonna say a prayer for you when you die."

The notorious Butch Cavendish. Those spectacular icy blue eyes of his could burn the brightest stars right from the sky, even scare the Boogeyman to death, turn the brightest day to the darkest night. Butch and Rebecca looked into eachother before he came close to her lips. So close this time. So close a kiss can happen. She resisted the temptation.

"How's he gonna love you… if he don't have a heart no more?" his tongue licked his upper lip.

 **The Next Day** :

After a long morning or riding, they made it to the silver mines where the sun didn't burn their skin so much. It was cooler weather there. The mountains served as a perfect hiding place where Butch ordered his men around while the hard working china men rolled the trolleys back and forth into the mines. It was dusty there and dirty with explosives going off repeatedly deep, deep, deep within the tunnels. Danny, on the other hand, was taken inside the train and locked up in the lounge room with plenty of food and water while Rebecca and Butch stayed outside where he asked her to give him a shave. He gave her the blade and she gave him a questioning look.

"You try anythin' cute and the boy dies…"

Looking to the train and into the window, she understood the danger that threatened the safety of her little boy. Rebecca nodded, wiping the bottom of his neck with white shaving foam. With the blade she began shaving carefully. A close cut. A clean cut. Matter of fact, she did a perfectly good job. Once again, they were close, so close that she could smell him. It was her turn to be indecent, weird, and have no disregard for personal space. Ok, here we go. She sniffed. His scent wasn't… exactly repulsive. It was spicy and smooth, almost peppery and zesty. What a man smells like.

"Mama!"

Rebecca turned her head over her shoulder to her boy. The blade accidently slit across the man's cheek. He grabbed her wrist. She gasped.

"Oh! I-I-I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"Mama! They have a toy train set on board! I can make it go and everything!" Danny held up the tiny miniature train and ran back inside, closing the door.

Butch watched the blood run off the blade and onto her thumb, the crimson liquid settled into a tiny pool before suddenly running down her skin. Rebecca looked at his face. He didn't seem angry. What was going through his mind? Without warning, he stuck out his tongue and licked up her wrist and over her thumb, suckling like a kitten. The pleasure of it sent him to heaven. Shivers ran down her whole body as he seemed to enjoy his blood on her skin, almost moaning. And for whatever reason… she enjoyed it too. She didn't even try to yank her hand back. She wanted him to continue. Don't stop but continue. Do it faster, she thought. But the moment was cut short when they heard someone hollering and Butch yelled in frustration and stopped to investigate. As he walked away, Rebecca felt an intense pleasure rise within her core. Secretly when he was out of sight, she put her own mouth right where his mouth was and suckled there too. No trace of blood. But she could taste him. This experience was short lived. The pleasure heightened more and more, but that lust was erased when someone claimed there was a ghost in the tunnel. A ghost!? Rebecca snapped out of it and hope erupted like a volcano!

"Dan!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Is he the one doing all the talking!?" Butch yelled.

"He don't speak no English… but yea."

 **POP!**

Butch Cavendish shot the china man through the chest, putting him dead on the ground. The echo of the gun boomed its announcement of a fatal shot. The other men dragged the body away and Rebecca couldn't stand it! She ran over and helped. But soon enough the poor worker was pronounced dead on the spot, earning him a mournful salute from his fellow employees. Rebecca shivered as blood ran all over her hands. She's never seen death so close and intimately before. Trembling, she looked at that animalistic murderer and couldn't believe that he would do something so awful and not think twice about it.

"You're an animal!" she shouted, kneeling. "The ghost of Dan Reid is coming for you! Just you wait and see! Just wait and see!"

"Get 'er outta here!" Butch yelled, coming up, kicking sand in her face and dragging her up from her collar like a dog. "You'll get watcha got comin' doll. You'll get watcha got comin'…!"

The boys came running to take her away when Frank approached Butch about some ghosts inside the tunnels and they should run with what silver they got left. As Rebecca was being dragged away she saw Butch look at her, look at Frank, look at her and then suddenly become enraged with fury throwing silver chunks at Frank. Yelling like a madman, he threatened him with a gun and demanded he go in there and see for himself that no ghosts are walking. Rebecca couldn't see anything else as the boys threw her inside the train and locked her inside with her boy, Danny.

"Mama?"

Rebecca crawled to him, "Danny! Ya gotta listen to me, okay? Keep your voice down!"

"What's going on out there?"

"You gotta keep your voice down, baby."

"I heard gun shots."

"Shshshshsh!" she put a finger against his lips and petted his head. "We're gettin' outta here, Danny. You just gotta listen to every little word I say and if we're careful, we'll be leaving tonight."

"Did someone die?" he whispered.

"Listen, I need you to do something for me, okay? Do something for mama."

Rebecca and Danny inspected the luxurious lounge. No one else in it. She looked out the windows. No one but the Cavendish Gang getting lit with booze again, not paying attention to nothing. Coming to the doors she wiggled the handle. It was locked. The latches on the windows were locked, too. Rebecca began to panic as she could feel time wasting. Every minute and every second only meant that Butch would return at any time and do god knows what to them! She began spinning, trying to solve her life-threatening problem. Looking down the aisle, she spotted something protruding from underneath the carpet. Kneeling down on the passageway, she folded back the carpet.

"Danny, come here. But don't let no one see you!"

The boy nodded obeying his mama and getting on his hands and knees and avoided the windows crawling to her. She unclipped the lock, pulled back the shutters, and opened a latch. The metal swung open. They could see the railroad tracks and dirt.

"You go first."

Danny looked at the latch and at his mama, "It's not big enough for you."

"I'll be fine. When you get outta there, I'll be right behind you."

She helped him go feet-first into the opening. His little body was barely able to squeeze through and the boy insisted that he stay.

Danny gave an angry look, "I'm not going without you!"

"You have to!"

"You can't make me! I won't go!"

Her hands came up gently and held his head, "Danny, you gotta go. This might be our only chance to run! I'll be right behind you I swear."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" the boy squirmed.

Someone suddenly came knocking on the door, banging a fist. Who was it!? The shadow was tall and big. They banged on the door again, louder this time! Rebecca panicked and gently squeezed her boy through the latch and successfully rescued her child. Danny began to weep as his hand slipped from the hand of his mother.

"Go! Get a sheriff! Go back to Colby! Run! Run!" Rebecca told her child, shedding tears and blowing a kiss from her hand.

"Mama!" he cried out.

The whole train cart rumbled and their bodies jiggled as a massive explosion erupted from the silver mines, motivating Danny to run for dear life! The boy didn't know a thing about the mountains but one thing told him that following the river would be a sure-way to escape! Other working men heard the explosion and ran towards the direction of the fire, unaware of a little boy sneaking behind the trolleys. The young boy hopped over behind a wagon, making sure the coast was clear, before running faster than a jack rabbit and following the river down the mountain. His socks and shoes were nothing but soaked by the time he reached the green forest and if it weren't for the ache in his feet, he would've thrown his shoes into the mud. Pushing past the brush and shrubberies and foliage, he ran and ran and ran.

Back inside the train, Rebecca could do nothing but weep, shutting her eyes from the world, praying to god her boy would be alright, hoping her husband would come and sweep her away from this hellish nightmare! Suddenly when she looked out the window, the Cavendish Gang saddled their horses and ran with talk of some ghost! A ghost comes to seek vengeance! She hoped that it was her husband, but her hope was soon diminished when Butch never came back and nighttime came. The ghost wasn't her husband. Lying on her cot, she waited and waited until someone unlocked the door and entered. Fearing the intruder, she hid from sight underneath the table. But it was no good. The intruder held a lantern in its hand and she screamed when its face was revealed!

"Go away! Leave me alone!" Rebecca squinted in the light, focusing her sight. "W-Wait, you're the Indian that John Reid locked up back in Colby. What are you doing here?"

 **Later That Night** :

"That's what we are. Me and Butch. Brothers." Latham Cole loaded his gun, pointing it the Lone Ranger, also known as John Reid. But the ghost of vengeance wasn't in his seat. Latham suddenly felt a cold metal poke his head. Pointing the gun, John eyed him viciously retelling and cracking through his deceitful façade of justice, exposing Cole for what he truly was! A downright evil man!

One thing lead to another and Latham Cole, John Reid, and the Captain of the Calvary were in one room pointing guns at eachother in a stand-off. Who kills who? No one knows.

"Captain! Arrest this man!"

"Arrest him he's a common criminal!" Latham shouted.

"You are working for the U.S. government, you do not serve this man!" John explained.

"He murdered Dan Reid so he could claim his wife and their son and the title of a ranger! He is an adulterer and a murderer! He is a fake and an outlaw in the eyes of society!"

"Captain, those Commanches didn't raid those settlements! It was all a hoax. His brother Butch Cavendish set it up so they could claim the silver, break the treaty and steal the silver!"

Captain Fuller thought to himself," Well if what you say is true… then I attacked those Indians for no reason. They were innocent."

"That's right Captain. Slaughter of the innocent. Can you handle that? Like you said today Captain, going tenfold."

 **Somewhere in the Mines** :

Tonto wore a worker's hat generously given to him by a fellow china man while he fidgeted his silver pocket watch as Rebecca nervously fiddled with her hands. Tonto and Rebecca found each other back in the Silver Mines at the mountains and followed the railroad tracks returning to Colby where Tonto claimed John would be. But that didn't give her any piece of mind. Her son, Danny, was still running around somewhere in the wild and she had no idea if he was safe or not. He could've fallen off a cliff, eaten by wild dogs, bitten by a rattlesnake, chased by a mountain cat, run off with the goddamned circus for all she knew!

"I just want my boy."

"Stay here. I go now," the indian claimed. "Must find spirit walker. Find spirit walker then find boy. Find spirit walker, find wendigo. Find wendigo, find silver."

"What about Danny?"

Tonto picked up the bird cage, "Will find boy too, in time."

She watched him go, "When you get back please tell John that I'm alive and I'm waiting for him."

"Will do."

He began walking again.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"And tell him that I need his help finding my boy, Danny."

Walked again.

"Will do."

Walking, walking, walking…

"Wait."

He stopped.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, appreciating his bravery and loyalty to his new friend.

Tonto nodded his head and continued his walk on the tracks holding a bird cage, wearing a hat, and keeping his head low hiding his face. Rebecca wiped her hands together on her apron thinking about her son Danny and how scared he might be without his mama. For the next few moments of the night, Rebecca's fears grew as she heard gun shots coming from the cave and she just knew that John was in danger! Running, she followed the tracks to a horrific scene of a Commanche massacre with the Calvary picking up the weight of the fallen dead. She covered her mouth.

"The indians were innocent," she whispered, walking to the train.

Suddenly she saw Tonto and John wearing a blindfold escaping on a cart, escaping the enemy's clutches.

"JOHN!" she yelled.

He turned her way," Rebecca! I'm coming for you!"

There was no way for them to survive if they didn't escape. She was happy Tonto saved John, or else she and her boy would be doomed nonetheless. But that didn't help her situation. Out from the train cart, she saw Latham Cole step from the carrier wearing a hat and holding a gun talking to someone.

"He knows everything. Make sure he and that indian are far from Colby tomorrow."

"What about the Railway board?"

Latham smiled," Those fools? I plan to become their employer tomorrow and I need you to… help me _win_ the vote."

She gasped. It was Butch Cavendish! They were talking together. He and Latham were behind everything! They started this war together. It all made sense. Him dressing as the indians and Latham with the railroad! She was no fool. It all made sense! Smiling, she knew exactly what to do! Butch didn't know she was there and Latham didn't know either. She was invisible. They also didn't know that she would be secretly helping John and Tonto. She would take them both by surprise! Approaching them like a mad screaming woman she threw herself at Latham, into his arms and clung there!

"Latham!"

He grabbed her.

He gasped," Rebecca!? Rebecca is that you!?" he shot Butch a cold glare. "I-I-I thought I would never see you again! I'm so glad you're safe! Thank God! Where's Danny?"

She cried, "Y-You don't know the horrors I've been through! I was beaten and clobbered! And I helped my boy run far, far, far away and into the wild. You don't know what it's like to be out there, cold and hungry and scared for your life!"

He glanced at Butch, "Who did this to you!?" he touched her face.

"I was stolen away from my ranch and I was held hostage by these bandits. I didn't see their faces. I can't remember why they took me. But I was so scared and as a matter of fact…" she put the back of her palm against her forehead, faking and exaggerating. "I think I might faint. I've been so cold, hungry and weak."

Latham ushered her to the train," Right this way. I'll call for some drink and food of course. You have nothing to fear no more. And I'm sure whoever did this to you will come to justice and hang by tomorrow morning, I'll see to it."

"Yes, yes thank you Latham…" she whispered his name, looking back and into the blue eyes of Butch, and then back to Latham," And I ever remember the faces of those brutes, I'll let you know."

Butch watched Rebecca be escorted into the train and he gave a growl. He knew what she was doing. This was goddamn blackmail. The worst kind to keep a man prisoner. If Latham Cole knew that Butch had taken advantage of her then he would lose his share of the silver, leaving him penniless. And he did NOT wait 20 years for scraps. Before he knew it, strange noises came from the trees like ghosts howling and a rain of arrows came falling from the moonlight, striking down many men before an assault of the Indians came. Butch ran and jumped for cover while he grudgingly watched the lawyer and the indian with the crow on its head make their escape into the mountain. The Calvary panicked and moved around like a bunch of chickens with their head cut off while Latham Cole demanded to know what happened and where was the Lone Ranger! Butch pocketed his pistol and told him that he and the indian escaped deep into the mountain. Without a second thought, Latham smacked him across the jaw, puncturing his cracked lip, pain struck the side of his face as he fell into the dirt.

"How many times do I have to tell you to kill that ranger!?" he hollered, kicking him in the stomach and smacking across the face. "How many times do I have to tell you!? How many times do I have to tell you!?"

He beat his brother until he slumped on the ground, almost too exhausted to fight back. Butch was clubbed in the stomach one more time when Latham slipped out his pocket watch, grumbling and spitting nonsense.

"The time is almost here. Get your men and kill that ranger! Don't come back tomorrow unless you bring me that mask! Bring me his badge! For a more permanent result, bring me back his head!"

Latham walked to his horse, intent to return back to Colby.

Butch coughed blood from his mouth. "What about the silver? What about my silver!? You got your half! Everyone believes the Commanche violated the treaty. You have what you want! What about mine!?"

Latham chuckled," You're not going to see one speck of that silver unless you get me that Ranger!"

Butch got up.

"That ain't part o' the deal!"

Latham clubbed him, "IT IS NOW! The Ranger knows everything. He can destroy everything that I've worked for and the past 20 years would've been for nothing. If he lives then we're dead and back living in the desert. Be smart. Take that dynamite. Go into the mountains. Kill him and don't come back until he's dead!"

Rebecca came out from the train. She heard everything. She stared into Cole's eyes, unmoving and fierce with rage, hands trembling against her purple satin dress. It was clear she weren't looking for no conversation either. Latham looked at Rebecca, unfeeling and cold, like looking into the eyes of a snake. With fists rolled, she came up and began hitting him on his chest, hitting as hard as she could and spat on his face before he backhanded her, falling to the ground. Latham didn't care what she had to say or what she thought about him, just as long as she'll remain his prize and his alone.

"You're a monster! You're a monster! You're monster!" she screamed.

"Don't worry my dear, you never left my heart." He wiped his hands with his handkerchief and looking at her. "Ready yourself my darling, San Francisco awaits us in a week—"

"I'd rather die than go with you!" she screamed, squirming from his grip. "You hear me!? I rather die!"

"Actually might make that an exception…" he said coolly, looking at her with desire. "But I don't want to make that an exception. Your mine whether you like it or not."

Rebecca rose from the dirt, wiped off her lipstick, snatched the pins from her hair and she eyed him angrily before spitting at his feet.

"You're a monster! You're a monster who deserves to rot in hell without a soul to pray for you."

"Soul?" he arched a brow. His hand touched her cheek, softly and caressed it. "No man born from the desert has a soul. But a heart? Perhaps, a man from the desert has one. But… first… he needs…a _partner_ to… _exercise_ … the _desires_ of that heart first… Don't you agree my darling?"

Rebecca shook her head, "No. No."

"Oh I think yes."

"No! Agh!"

He grabbed her hair.

She screamed," I'll never be with you! You can go to hell and take your silver with you!" her eyes darted at Butch who sat in the dirt not 10 feet away from her. "Please help. Please. Help."

The dangerous outlaw turned his head from her, rose, dusted off and stood there waiting for his brother to be done with his plaything. Far from helping those in need Butch never did care for the weak and the suffering, it wasn't in his code. Whatever love, compassion, or empathy in him was dead and gone, taken out like a thorn, leaving him cold and unfeeling. Rebecca looked at Butch with pleading eyes to rescue her from his brother, blue eyes looking into another pair of blue eyes.

Instead, Cole dragged her inside the train lounge, locked the door, shut the curtains, pushed her on the sofa, pointed a finger at her nose and told her to stay there until he returned. He needed to exchange a few words with the leader of the Calvary before he would 'soothe' her aching fears.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"You get off o'me!"

Rebecca was thrown against the velvet red sheets of Latham's private quarters, bouncing off the soft mattress and trying to scamper out of his arms toward a door or a window or grab hold of a gun nearby! No use! Latham had pinned her arms down with both his hands, ignoring her screams as he put his mouth on the 'V' on her chest and smelled her there, not kissing but smelling, closing his eyes and releasing his grip on her. He fixed his suit and tie, wiping his hands and gave her a smile.

"Let's do this right, shall we? I was merely inspecting my prize. As you understand, I waited quite a while for you. All these years of being so close." He wiped his handkerchief. "All these years not touching but watching. But… I am a gentleman, and as a gentleman, I will do this right. I'll be right back. I have a surprise waiting for you."

"You stay away from me!" she yelled.

"Oh contraire! I have another surprise for you, my dear. Before we enjoy tonight and tomorrow and for the rest of our lives, I'm going to avenge your husband, my darling. It's the most honorable thing I can do for you. My men are going to murder my brother and after I dump his body off a cliff, I intend to take his cut and send us both to San Francisco."

Rebecca didn't want to wait and see what his second 'surprise' was! Shaken and terrified, she jumped from the bed and went to the windows. Bolted shut. To the doors? Locked without a key. She looked up. Nothing. She looked around. Nothing! A mental timer began to tick in her head, dreading the return of Latham Cole, setting herself in a shrieking panic! But suddenly as she set her foot down, a creaking was heard. Looking down, she pressed her foot again. _Creak! Creak! Creak_! She kneeled, lifted the rug, and found a replica of the trap door Danny escaped in and hope broke upon her heart again. Rebecca looked at the door watching in horror as the door handle began to jiggle! A dangerous sign that the key was pushed into the locked and twisting for the opening with Latham on the other side of the door, returning! She tore off the extra layers beneath her red dress, took off her tight shoes and-

"Rebecca? I've taken the liberty of purchasing this for you. I didn't know your ring size, but I'm sure it'll be more than enough to make you happy." Latham closed the door behind him, holding a little brown box in his hand. "Rebecca?"

Latham stood, frozen, disbelieving the disappearance of his prize! Nothing in this room but a pair of woman's shoes and torn skirts!

 **Meanwhile** :

The woman ran! She ran and ran and ran!

She didn't care the hardened rocks and pebbles stung her feet like hornets, she had to get out of there before Latham sent his men after her! She ran through the darkness and came to a halt! Oh no, there was men everywhere! Calvary men! If they spotted her, she was done for! There was nowhere else to go. Her heart broke—she would never escape this place. Never see John or Danny again. What would become of her!? An enslaved bride for an evil man? A target practice for the Calvary. A meal for the wolves somewhere in the wild? A childless widow begging for scraps in the street?

No! No! No! There had to be a better way! She gathered her guts, wits, and courage and headed for the cave of the mountain, headstrong for a better future than this! Whether she fell off a cliff or got shot dead, she was going to fight until the end! The mouth of the cave was cold and damp from the previous rainstorm, chilling her vulnerable feet, testing her strength before her adventure even began! But she had to go. She must. Lifting her skirt, taking an oil lantern with her, she walked in.

The cave was dark and cold, filled with strange smells like burning wood and powder. There were old ancient Indian carvings along the walls stretching so far up the wall it touched the ceiling like a globe. Behind her, in front of her and everywhere around darkness touched everything, dwarfing her like a bug in a barrel. She followed the train tracks further and further until she couldn't see the entrance anymore, it shrunk from eyesight. To make matters worse, a strong wind blew! It blew through the tunnel like the mountain itself was alive and she was its victim, swallowed whole and eaten by this monstrous and powerful beast. Before she knew it, her lantern blinked out.

"No! No! No! No! No!"

 _Breathe. Breathe. Breathe_.

Stretching out her hand, she tried to feel for something, anything to guide her, to ease her growing fears. She turned her head from side to side, felt her eyes moving in their sockets, blinked to be sure her eyes were open.

 _Breathe. Breathe. Breathe_.

The darkness was so total, so enveloping, that she had to tell herself she was in a train tunnel, somewhere in Indian Territory, running from a madman. She couldn't see the train. She couldn't see the train tracks. She couldn't see any madman. But she was afraid.

Suddenly, a light and a voice—

 **BOOM**!

A white light flashed, nearly blinding her- came alive! As soon as it came, it was gone! Rebecca fell backwards on her rump feeling heat touch her face hotter than hell itself, making her scream!

"Ranger!" a voice called from the darkness.

She lay there with her hands covering her cheeks, feeling the heat, hissing with pain.

"Ranger!" someone called again.

Footsteps.

 _Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch_.

"Ah' be dahmned…" the stranger kneeled over the woman's body. "If it ain't the curious thangs that get us killed then I don't know what will."

She opened her eyes, blinking to vision felt hands bring her body up to stand. The heat had gone from her skin. Black and white orbs bounced in her eyes like snowflakes, still stunned with shock from the light. There had to be a better way to live! She could hear another person walk towards her.

"What we gon' do now? It weren't the Ranger, Butch, you done almost blown up a lady!"

"If I had, it wasn't gone be my fault. Stupid woman should've been with my no good bastard offa' brother that's where. The hell was she thinking coming this far into the mountain? Brother gonna be drunk pissed when he knows. But… the hoss don't have to know just yet where his bride-to-be is. I says we have us some fun."

Terror, fear, horror, and every other word that described misery came rushing to Rebecca like a lightning bolt the second she heard the outlaw's name.

"Butch?" she whispered.

"Am here, doll," he smiled, glinting his silver tooth.

"Where's… Where's…" she trailed off, rethought, then panicked. "Where's John!? Where's John Reid!? Latham was going to—I was trying to get away— Need to find help!"

"Quiet!"

"Latham was coming back and I had to—"

"Quit yapping, woman! Hate it when woman get these thoughts and won't shut up!" he brought her along through the dark knowing exactly where to go.

"I had to run from Latham! I had to!" she trembled. "He was going to take me to San Francisco but I had to come back and find Danny! My boy's still out there!"

"Congratulations."

They came to an area lit with lanterns and a posse of men, obviously hunting for the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Butch moved her along. Rebecca looked up at him and began thinking thoughts she never thought she would. In a strange way, Butch was a very capable man with many talents and he had the history of crime and pillaging and plundering to prove it.

She couldn't believe she was going to do what she was going to do.

Grabbing onto his sleeve, she looked into his eyes," Butch, please, please, will you find my boy!? He's out there all alone! He's my baby! He's my only baby. I can't find him by myself. I can't track. I don't know the territory. I can't shoot a gun! Please! Please! I'm begging you! Danny's all I have in this world."

He shoved her," Got a pretty face, but not my problem."

"Please!?"

"Move on out! Go on!"

"Please! I'll pay you! I'll pay you!"

Butch sat her on the ground," You couldn't pay me enough, doll. Wish it didn't have to be like this. Bad things happen to good people and to bad people. But I ain't none o' them once dawn comes. But once I get my silver tomorrow I say to you: Adios."

"You almost killed me with an explosive 5 minutes ago…"

"Life has no regrets."

That horrible- sly-no good piece of- She wanted to slap that stupid look off his face but another thought came to her head. Biting her lip, she just had to speak the truth. The cold hard truth.

"Latham Cole was going to murder you."

The outlaw stopped in his tracks, bit his bottom lip and gave her a look most sinister. Most sinister indeed. It was as if she had rang the dinner bell- and she was the meal. His blue eyes seemed to glow with an evil intent. The way he approached her. The way he looked at her. The way he seemed to burrow himself into her thoughts brought her some excitement when it shouldn't. Feeling the arousal made her melt, but this was life and death.

"What. Makes. You. So. Sure?" he snarled, pronouncing each word.

"H-He told me. He told me that he was going to send his men after you once when you went into the mountain. Your brother was gonna take your cut, the whole 65 million and disappear."

No one could trust that son of a bitch. No one! Butch knew one or two things about his brother and one of them was: the bastard was smart. Second; he was smart double-crossing bastard. Third? He was a dead man.

Knowing she hit her mark, she needed to feed his growing suspicion.

"Latham was never going to share the silver with you. He never had you in his plan. He's just using you. You only played the part of the outlaw. He plays the civil man with a civil plan. In the end… you were gonna take the fall. Don't you see? Your bother would rather have you be hanged than have that silver."

She stepped forward.

Her plan was working.

"He thought you were never going to know, but I came up here to tell you and to save you," she spoke. It was half of the truth. Part of her wishes she didn't tell him and let the brothers kill each other. But she needed the outlaw to help find her son.

He snarled," I didn't wait 20 years for nothing."

"I know."

"He ain't taken it. He ain't taking my cut."

"I know."

Butch stared into his own thoughts as her hands wrapped themselves around his arm, almost comforting him, pulling him close to her. The look in his eyes told a different story. She almost…pitied him. One of Butch's henchmen came running from the darkness and to Butch.

"Butch! Butch! Butch! One o'em Calvary men is a'comin this way! They got guns…!"

"Oh to hell with Latham! The hell with him! He's not taking my silver! I'll kill him! I swear to it I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM!"

"What do we do!? They gonna shoot us!?"

Slipping his gun out, he called his men to get ready for a hell-storm, pushing her behind him and hiding in the darkness, blowing out the lanterns and waiting. The Calvary men were close, but not close enough to kill, and she was terrified to be caught in the middle of the fight but… if it meant she'll find Danny then she'll do anything. Butch armed himself with his twin pistols pressing his back close to her, giving her a perfect view of the back of his head.

The Calvary men came closer and closer and closer and before she knew it, Butch took the first shot.

 **POP!**

A bullet burst and flew through a man's head, blood flew, and his head whiplashed, his eyes went wide and shut forever. Rebecca screamed and covered her face with her arms as the gun fire got loud and angry, bursting light and fire, smoke rising filling her nostrils.

 **POP! POP! POP! POP! POP**!

Until finally silence. It was over. Butch yanked her up and pulled her with him. There was blood everywhere. Men lay on the ground dead. She turned her head away. There was too much death. In his rage, Butch wasn't done yet, he was still hungry for revenge and blood. He loaded his pistol with bullets.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him.

"Going to have a little talk with my brother, man to man and I think it's about time we have act like a family for once," he snarled, pocketing his pistol.

"What about Danny?"

"He's not my son."

She scoffed, "But I'm the one who just told you about Cole! I warned you before he could kill you! I saved your life!"

"Grateful as a flea on a dog's ass. But you ain't my problem! I want my silver! I'm gonna get my silver!"

She followed him before he could get away, "Please! Please! Please! I am begging you Butch! The least you could do for me is helping me get my boy back! Do you have any decency!? Don't you know any honor!? In all of your dark and evil life, you can't help one soul!? I saved your life!"

"And I'M SAVING YOURS!" he yelled to her face, pointing a finger to her head, pushing her to the wall. "I'm letting you walk away RIGHT now before I let this pistol put a kiss right between those pretty eyes of yers!"

Rebecca stepped in front of him, "You no good, awful, ungrateful, churlish, useless, son of a -"

Unbeknownst to any of them, a survivor lieutenant lit a stick of red dynamite. The sparks flew, eating the string faster than anticipated! With the last of his strength, he threw the stick of dynamite behind Butch! Rebecca didn't know what took over her. In a flash of instinct and strength, she threw her entire bodyweight upon him and threw themselves into a trolley cart. She didn't know what happened. She didn't know how it happened. But she and Butch could feel the explosive burst!

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM**!

The mountain, the train tracks, and their bodies shook like jelly as the fire engulfed everything and everyone in a split second. The trolley cart fell over from the impact of its destructive power, protecting its two passengers from the death of fire! The whole mountain shook! Boulders disconnected from the roof. Logs supporting the structure of the cave snapped from their places, dislocating the supporting spine of the railroad! The cave was collapsing on itself. She screamed for her life as the darkness came and the lights flickered out.

 **Later That Night** :

She had awoken from her sleep weeping; the terror of almost dying had traumatized her in the worst way. No one truly knew how terrifying it was to be in a cave collapsing on itself let alone ALMOST being destroyed by dynamite. Twice. But when she rose, she saw that the tunnel had become a cave. It was a cave of darkness survived by two people sitting across from eachother with a fire in between and she didn't have any quarrel, she was grateful to be alive. She touched her head. It was bandaged. Courtesy of the outlaw.

"They're all dead," he understood. "In a few hours it'll be my turn."

She sat with a tremble in her hand.

"That son 'a bitch did it. He did it. He finally did it," he whispered, hope slipping away. "Gonna die in a god forsaken mountain in the middle o'nowhere, with nothin' but a name, one bullet, and not pocket of silver with a soul doomed to go to straight to hell."

Water dripped from somewhere pooling against the slabs of rock huddled against each other, growing bigger and bigger. The catastrophic damage affected the entire base of the mountain, touching the bottom base of a river, releasing mud from the walls, bubbling and spitting. Butch looked at the growing pool calmly, almost peacefully while fingering the trigger of his weapon, feeling the water touch his boots.

"By water… we die."

Rebecca rose on her wobbly feet," W-W-We can't die! We c-c-can't die! Not in here! N-Not in h-here!"

"Do you see an exit I don't? If you wanna summon some otherworldly strength and shove those boulders then go right 'head! No one stoppin' you…"

She looked everywhere; there was no way to get out. They were too deep inside the mountain to escape. Large slabs and boulders sealed them in. The cave was a large dome. A smooth house of sand stone and rock. A grave for two. Only help from the outside would save them.

The outlaw snickered, "What you panickin' for anyway, doll? You shouldn't. With all your devotion, prayin', singin' to God you'll be heaven! Me? I'm goin' the other way 'round."

"Stop talking like we're going to die! We're not going to die!" Rebecca screamed as she saw the water pool to her feet, wetting the bottom hem of her dress.

The only instinct was to climb! Climb and climb as high as she could to try and find a way out, or an escape route, or an opening to shout and scream for help. Anything! She moved side to side but nothing budged. The only moment she saw the outlaw panic was when a rock jiggled and burst out from the wall followed by a large spout of water.

He went to the fire and grabbed a sizeable branch from the pit to keep the light and went to her side. Another rock jiggled—then burst from its place followed by another spout of water. Then another. And another! They both climbed higher and higher. The pool below grew faster and faster, rising higher and higher, chasing the survivors. Her limbs began to tremble as she slowly became weak with panic.

Her heart raced as she could feel the water touch her ankles. There was no more room to climb! It's the end! Shutting her eyes, she searched or tried to grab onto anything! Butch lifted the torch high above his head to keep the light. The water gurgled everywhere, washing and swishing in all directions, rising to their hips. Air—air-air—she needed air! She needed to breathe! The freezing cold water rose to her shoulders! It was coming faster and faster! Both survivors tilt their heads up pointing their nose away from the water taking in gulps of air, heaving like never before, and she finally screamed! She screamed a blood curdling scream! The torch was taken by the water—the fire hissed—embers glowed—smoke rose—immense blackness.

Total blackness.

The water bubbled. It was cold. It was dark. She could feel his body close to her, closest he's ever been. She stopped screaming as everything became numb with a feeling of hopelessness, fear, acceptance of death, and calmness. The water rose slowly to her neck. In the darkness, she could hear Butch breathe. She touched his shoulders, moving her palms smoothly against his clothing as his hands reached her arm, feeling eachother there for a moment. Both took a big gulp of air before they were completely underwater. There was no sound. No hesitation. The deep darkness muffled and moaned. Bubbles slipped from her nose as she tried to remain calm. Blinking and looking around in the darkness irritated her eyes. Her head felt a different pain though. It was a headache. But worse! Much worse! The pressure began to build inside her skull, knifing her sinuses, forcing her to release air from her lungs! It was so painful; she was almost completely out of air! He even seemed to panic as he released air. Their bodies floated there when—

A large groan—like a grumble was heard—thundering like canons. Suddenly the rocks shifted cracked—split- broke away- and- they were pulled by a powerful current downwards into the darkness, tossing and tumbling together swishing and splashing! Butch yelled something! She screamed! Their bodies were sucked through the lungs of the caves, swallowed, and tossed onto a flat platform of solid granite. Water splashed in waves, settling to a safe level. She coughed—choking on water and moved freely. Her body shivered as she felt relief, breathing air and ridding herself of the tight space between water and rock.

What happened? Looking around, they were in a much larger dome with rows of pillars supporting the roof, twin stair steps on each side, strange statues, and some sort of alter with… symbols on the wall. This was definitely a sign that this place was touched by human hands. But this place looked too… sophisticated and too urban to be touched by men of the wild west. If she wasn't drenched in water and frightened, she would've easily mistaken this place to be a church house then a cave in a mountain. These statues… they were carved by experienced hands. Cobwebs veiled their beauty, but she could easily see that these statues were homage to a greater symbol of power and greatness.

"Where are we?" she whispered, crawling to stand. "B-Butch? Are you alive?"

His body lay on his back next to her, coughing out water, before gasping for air.

"T'hell…!?"

"What is that?" she whispered, approaching the altar. "Where are we?"

"What the hell…!" he coughed, gathering his strength to stand. "I mean what the hell!"

He took off his boots to drain the water before wringing out his hat. Taking off his socks the outlaw didn't give a damn if he was going to be struck by lightning—he wanted to kill his no-good dirty bastard brother if it killed him! One way or another! Revenge was coming! It's coming! It was coming like the storm of hell itself! He unbuttoned his vest and slapped it on the floor!

"Thought for one moment that I'd live! Then the next I'd die! Then the next I'm alive! Tell the lord to make up his mind! Either kill me or not! Don't make a man go through all that for naw reason!?" he yelled, kicking his hat. "To hell with all y'all! To hell with it! Ya'll can go to hell! Everything I worked for is gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone to hell! All my silver! All those 20 years of my life for nothin' and n-now my brother is gonna take every last ounce of that silver and… I'm… not… going… to…" he trailed off.

He watched the woman kneel beside something. His curiosity peaked. What was that woman doing? She whispered something before brushing cobwebs from a corpse. Approaching, he didn't give a damn why she was doing this. Until… he realized something. The corpse wasn't a corpse. It was a grown man with a full beard and a head of grey-brown hair with milky white eyes with his mouth wide open. He didn't even smell dead. The white skin of the body looked as if… it was killed no more than an hour ago. But that was impossible. Butch joined Rebecca in removing the cobwebs to reveal something shocking. Eyes widened. He couldn't believe it and neither could she.

It was a corpse wearing a suit of silver amor.

"What is that?"

"I-I-I don't know…" she pointed. "Look… he's carrying something..."

From the skeleton-like fingers, she pried away a piece of parchment. Unlike the body, the parchment looked very, very old, crumbling and cracking open. She narrowed her eyes. The ink faded but the words were still readable.

"It looks like it's in Spanish. But… I can't read it."

Butch looked," _El Hombre Dorado_ …"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

 **(A/N: I don't speak Spanish nor can I write in Spanish. So if you speak it fluently or not, be prepared for the worst Spanish you have ever read! I just googled the translations**!)

"What is that?"

"I don't know…" she pointed. "Look, he's carrying something."

From the skeleton-like fingers, she pried away a piece of parchment. Unlike the body, the parchment looked very, very old, crumbling and cracking open to reveal something. The words were faded, but still readable.

"It looks like it's in Spanish. I can't read it."

Butch looked," _El Hombre Dorado_ …"

She looked at him, surprised, "You can read that?"

"Born and raised in the desert, doll. I just know these things."

"Well… what does it mean?"

"The golden man. Or… man of gold."

She awed," Fascinating. If he wore this suit of armor… he must be from the 15th or 16th century. Before you and I were even born…"

He poked the helmet. "No one's worn these since…"

"…Since they came to this land in ships a long, long, long time ago. I used to read them in books when I was a little girl. My mother insisted. You think he was important? How long has he been in here? Where did he come from and how was he trapped here?"

He didn't answer any of those questions. Too much to pry on, he thought. Butch looked at the wall. He inspected the symbols carefully. But these symbols weren't just symbols. What was the word…? Hieroglyphs. They were hieroglyphs. Written into the wall, etched and scratched perfectly in straight rows touching wall to wall, paragraphs and paragraphs were written. She joined him. Everything looked so glorious and wonderful. The light that came into the altar came from the high roof. It wasn't direct light. The rays of the sun bounced off the rock giving a beautiful orange glow. It all looked so beautiful. So ancient and mysterious. She touched the etchings with her fingers, smiling.

"This is so exciting. I've never seen anything like this." She hummed. "Can you read it?"

"No. This is… in a different language."

She pointed to another wall, a much larger and spacious wall, "Who's that?"

There was a painting of a man wearing a large crown on his head with a square nose, a strong forehead, with feathers on his arms stretching out his hand to the sun with a scepter in his other hand. He had bird feet, large white canary eyes, and talons on his fingers. His picture dwarfed all the others in the alter. Something was written there. Butch brushed away the dust and cobwebs, blowing the dirt away.

"El hombre del desierto.

Los vientos mas fuertes.

En el Escalon mas alto.

El agua mas baja.

Ir a la ciudad de oro.

Donde puede encontrarse el conocimiento.

La octava ciudad de oro."

Rebecca stood next to him," What does that mean?"

"The man in the desert. The winds most strong. On the step most high. The water most low. Go to the golden city. Where knowledge can be found. The 8th golden city."

"Which means?"

"It means that pigs fly but don't give a damn for cows! How am I suppose t'know!? It's all bullshit anyway."

She shot him a glare," How can you say that!? You're standing in one of the worlds unsolved and undiscovered tombs and you couldn't care less! No one's stepped in here for nearly 300 years! Everything you see in here could be precious relics and possessions!" she lifted the piece of parchment. "This could be worth thousands!"

"Thousands ain't nowhere near millions!"

She threw her arms up, "Ugh! I give up! How can you be so greedy!? You're so corrupt! You're so… awful!"

He smirked, "It's the charm of Butch Cavendish, doll."

Her fit of anger almost crushed the parchment in her hand.

"Is there anything about you that doesn't—"

"Sweet holy bells!" he hollers, startling the woman, running past her, towards the opposite end of the dome, towards a column. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"What is it now? I don't see anything." she grunted, following him. "Wait… What is that?"

She followed him, getting a closer look, jaw dropping.

"Whatever it is," he grinned. "It's mine."

"B-B-Butch, I'm sure whoever put that there doesn't want anyone to touch it. Please, you can't take that! It looks like a very sacred possession that belongs here! It was put there for a reason!"

"Hush woman!" Butch snarled at her before taking a good long look at the golden object before him. "It's mine."

No doubt, this golden bird was dashingly beautiful, crafted in the most elegant pose possible, stretching its lovely wings high above its head with the tail outspread like fingers. Despite being locked in this place for 300 years, the darkness and dirt had no power over its shining and dazzling beauty. Butch, still in awe, stretched out his hand until his fingers gripped around its long slender neck ready to snatch it from its place. Rebecca held her breathe as the golden bird was lifted from its sacred perch and into the arms of its abductor.

The room went totally quiet.

Suddenly—

Rocks rumbled together inside the walls, mechanically and perfunctorily. The pedestal which the bird stood slowly began to sink into the floor. The columns (row by row) shifted and rotated until, they too, sunk into the floor, disappearing completely! Strings of dirt fell from the roof. The altars, artifacts, and images on the wall shifted and cracked, disturbed by the moving columns.

"What did you do!?" she screamed at him. "You shouldn't have touched it!"

Suddenly, right down the middle, the floor split in two!

"Move to the wall!" he hollered waving his hand. "Move to the wall!"

Butch on the other side and Rebecca on the other, they scrambled for an escape. There was nothing to grab onto! It was no use!

The earth shook, she screamed, and he pressed his back against the wall as far as he could!

The floor was disappearing faster than they could move! A river swam beneath them with one single boat floating in the middle latched to the wall, as if expecting their unexpected arrival. The corpse jiggled and tipped sideways falling into the gushing water, sinking to the bottom caused by the weight of his silver armor. The water beneath moved faster, fiercer, and stronger! It was another tunnel! She stood on the tip of her toes! The floor, once so secure, slid like a honeycomb slab into the wall and never to move again.

"We have to jump!"

And jump they did. The boat was perfectly safe; Butch detached the lash, and then carried away by the powerful torrents of the river.

"I told you not to take it!" she screamed at him, giving him the ' _I told you so_ ' look while they sat together in the boat.

"Worth it," he smiled, holding his prize. "It'll be a mighty fine trophy." Holding his trophy, he lifted the torch in his other hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked, moving to the front of the boat. "Do you think we're leaving the mountain?"

He grunted.

"Hope so. The faster we get outta here, the faster we find my brother. For a long time, he's takin' the better half of the treasure all these years. Bout time to change all that." He snarled, thinking of all those years spent in the desert. "Take something from me, be sure as hell I'mma take somethin' from him…"

Rebecca looked at him, passive about his hatred towards Latham. No part of her wanted anything to do with him or any part of his evil kin, but something told her that he deserved so much better than what he received. He obviously deserved to be hung by rope. Nothing excused his past sins. Nothing. Riding across from him she took note of his strong jawline, clenched for vengeance.

Lifting the hat from his head, he noticed something, "What's that?"

The rickety boat groaned, bumping and grinded against the narrow water lane. Colonies of bats, squealing and hanging from their feet on the rock, detached from their comfortable perch and flocked in groups finding an escape. Looking up, both witnessed a massive discovery.

"What. In. The. Hell. Is. That?"

Through their scrambling and mixing, the bats flew higher and higher above their dead neighbor. Butch and Rebecca stood, incredulous, gazing upon their random find. The giant skeleton was colossal! The light of the torch unveiled every curve, bend, arch, bow, and bone curvature there was. The skull was bigger and wider than the boat with big round hollow eyes, sharp teeth, and a long snout with its jaws wide open as if the creature was screaming before it met its untimely death. The immense rib cage dwarfed the heaviest train cart. The entire skeleton body reached a total length of 100-120 feet from the tip of its reptilian tale to the snout. The bone looked melted into the rock of the almighty mountain, two becoming one. The height of this fossil was… incredible.

"I have no idea."

This mountain held more secrets than they knew.

The river carried them back into the tunnel and the immense skeleton disappeared back into the darkness. Neither knew what they've just witnessed. Only amazement and awe was the answer.

"Ya know… I've heard tales and stories that come from strange mountain men who traveled further west."

She looked at him, "What do they say?"

"Foot prints. In the copper mines, men say they've found foot prints of a different kind o' species never before discovered by man before. Huge foot prints. I call bullshit. But after that…" Butch paused, reliving his experience. "I believe."

"Hmm…" Rebecca mused.

With a torch in the light, they sat across from the other, not bothering to say another word. Butch tipped his hat down to hide his face from the woman across from him. He didn't want her to see him the way he was. At the moment, the man was confused and befuddled. This wasn't a way to start a day. Gonna murder his brother. Almost drowned. Found an undiscovered tomb? Cities of gold? Giant reptilian skeletons? What next? The furthest thing from his mind was returning back to the world they knew, back to Colby, back to the railroad, back into sunlight. To be truthful, this was the best part of the day, especially to be with her alone. But that was about to end.

"I see sunlight. We're almost out. This is almost over," Rebecca smiled, moving to the front. The beams of sunlight grew.

It amused him to see her so excited. It was like… watching a bird trying to fly. Hiding his eyes behind the rim of his hat, he moved away from her. Butch needed to leave her. Immediately. Before he can't stop himself anymore.

"It looks like we're on the North side," Rebecca sparkled, getting out of the boat and onto solid land, enjoying the wind in her hair. "We can't be too far away. It's almost dark. Maybe it's not too late to look for Danny." She rubbed her hands together, wiping off dirt.

"Were we in that mountain for an entire day?" she pondered out loud.

Rebecca wiped her hands one more time as she watched the outlaw walk into the woods, "If we move fast we can make it to the mines before the sun goes down."

Brushing back her hair, she followed him. Daring not to walk beside him. Anyone knew better than to be too close to Butch. Looking behind her at the boat, back at the mountain, back to their survived adventure, she was becoming nervous. Despite hating his smart-ass quirks, she wasn't entirely comfortable with a silent Butch Cavendish.

"It's going to get dark soon…"

She waited for an answer. The outlaw was still quiet. That damn golden bird was still clenched in his arms, like holding a baby. Her nervousness heightened. Say something, she thought. But maybe the smart thing wasn't to say anything. All the poor woman could do was follow the outlaw until they came to a comfortable camping spot and allow him to make a fire, sit in silence, until the hours of total night came. The only thing he did was look at the bird, the damn bird! The only thing he gave a damn about in his whole life. But she had to admit that the bird was indeed dazzling.

Even in the faintest light, it shimmered and sparkled and glistened. She wanted to touch it and hold it, feel the weight of solid gold in her hands. But putting her desires aside, she focused on her son, Danny and how frightened he must be.

It hurt her to be so far away from him.

They've never been apart for more than an entire school day!

He's a smart boy, she reminded herself, he'll find a way to survive.

Arguing with herself, she looked at Butch.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

It was a firm question.

"No."

"Why not."

"He ain't my son."

"Please… "She whispered, trembling. They've had this argument before, but she was going to try and win him over!

"He's my world and—and I can't let this go on for another day. I begged you before and I'm begging you now. He's my son. He's out there all alone in the world. He needs his mama… You have to help me."

He looked at her with his striking blue eyes, "Why should I?"

She wanted to stand and scold him!

"I saved your life! More than once!" she cried. "The only reason you're alive to hold that statue in your hands is because of me."

The outlaw never looked at her. His hat still covered his face. It was difficult to try and see through his façade. She supposed it was guilt that he was trying to hide from her. But maybe it was because he was thinking of his choices since he finally saw the goodness and kindness in her actions. Even the smallest star could shine in the darkest of night. He didn't answer her again.

It was quiet.

Neither spoke.

Neither moved an inch.

The outlaw slept soundly with the golden bird tucked underneath his arm, protectively and possessively. As the sun rose from behind the pink desert land, Rebecca couldn't stop looking at the piece of parchment. There are two things she noticed.

It was one half of a map.

It was also a music sheet.

Behind the Spanish poem of the Golden Man were… dotted lines, desert charts, numbers, and half the picture of a golden bird cut down the middle.

One wing.

One foot.

One eye.

Half the face.

Half the beak.

It was definitely a map leading to… somewhere. But the other half was missing. Then on the bottom line of the map, she saw music notes. She was sure she could ask a musician once she returned to town. Then she can solve the puzzle. Then from there, she can follow the next clue to the next clue, to the next clue, and to the final clue.

Rebecca loved this parchment, she loved it very much, she loved it incredibly; it gave her a splendid hope that there was still a dazzling beauty to this wild mysterious world. Even when she was a child, she always dreamed of traveling somewhere magical and beautiful, filled with wonder and love. Growing up, she never received such granting's. Receiving a nudge in her ribcage; she looking up Butch stood over her holding the statue.

"Come on'..."

His attitude had changed since last night.

She wiped her eyes, "W-W-Where are we going?"

"Away from here…" he continued to walk. "If I know one thing about my brother, he won't stop until he sees me dead. He'll form a posse and send out a state-wide manhunt."

Stumbling, she followed him, pleased with his energy and ambition. But still suspicious.

"Okay, but where are we going?"

He gave her a look like she was stupid," To make sure some goddamn cougar didn't eat yer boy! What d'ya think…!? Last you told me he was headed to the river. We get from ther' and see what _Ah_ ' can find…" he pointed a finger to the west. "Then if not, we'll go from here to the East. Reckon' it'll be much easier."

A great big sunshine of hope and happiness broke upon her heart in a great heap of fire and joy when he said those words to her that she just wanted to hug him, but she swallowed down her happiness and followed him. By the time they reached the mouth of the river near the silver mines, Butch knelt to the ground and began tracking. Like a dog, he found the boys small footprints. Together, they followed Danny's tracks until they came back to a familiar place.

Rebecca Reid's Ranch.

Home burned to the ground.

All the memories she and her husband made together was gone along with her home, her belongings, and every family picture they possessed.

But that didn't matter now.

"Danny!? Danny!?" she shouted. "Danny where are you!? It's your mama! Come on out!"

He watched the woman look here and there but could find no sign of her boy. Not caring less, he leaned his body against the water well and waited until she was done.

"Burning daylight, doll," he snickered. "If he ain't here… he ain't here…"

"But he has to be! His tracks lead him right here! He has to be here! Maybe he thought—Maybe he went… Maybe he was just scared or…" she trailed off.

"Go on, then…" he mumbled. "But don' tell me _Ah_ didn't try…"

"Where else would he go?"

"His tracks end here..." Butch flipped a coin with his thumb.

Setting the golden statue on the rocky rim of the water well, he watched the woman search all over her ranch, chewing on a piece of wheat grass.

"Maybe he got swept up by t'wind and off t'China," he snickered. "Maybe a great big bird carried him across the Mississippi river… Or, maybe he just ran away from home. When _Ah_ ' was his age _Ah_ ' was already riding mah' horse, eating snakes, cooking scorpions, and killing me some coyotes. " He flipped the coin, watching it flip, landing in his hand. "If yer ever wanna see yer boy again, you just gotta wish on it."

Chuckling, the outlaw flipped the coin into the well, mockingly.

A minute passes.

A metal ' _tiiiing_ ' is heard. The coin flies out. It poofed in the dirt.

Butch stared at the coin for a second before realizing what happened.

Looking down the well, he saw something.

"Doll!"

Rebecca shrugged him off, "I'm busy looking for my son!"

He looked over his shoulder at her, "Doll!"

"What!?" she stomped towards him. "What is so important that you gotta—"

"Mama!?" a voice echoed from the well.

(A/N): **Ok! Hope you guys like it so far! I've been trying to keep this story as simple, yet exciting, as possible. I tried to give it some crazy adventures and death-defying stunts mixed with some romance! So they finally found treasure, they've escaped Latham, and Butch and Rebecca are finally noticing each other! Danny was missing but now he's found!**

 **And in case you were wondering, they found a Spinosaurus (Spinosaurusaegyptiacus) within the mystical caverns of the mysterious mountain. I've decided to put some historical fiction into this story. They DO find dinosaur fossils in the desert** **these** **days. But, I'm sure that they didn't find so much back in** **those** **days. This dino-monster was first discovered in Egypt but was later bombed in WWI by the enemy fire.**

 **Then they found a map leading to a City of Gold? I did some research and they say that there was only 7 Cities of El Dorado that were located somewhere in South American, somewhere in Brazil, pyramids in the Amazon, the Inca Empire, and whatever. But don't take my writing TOO seriously. It's all fanfiction and it's all made up. Even the statue.**

 **Don't get too crazy.**

 **But hope you guys like it enough to review! Thanks!**


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